Men are likely to commit suicide than women: Psychiatrist

Though more women tend to attempt suicide; men are more likely to be decisive in ending their lives, says Neuropsychiatrist.

This is according to Dr Uchendu Onyedika, a Neuropsychiatrist with the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Nigeria in an an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), last week, where he defined suicide as an act of intentionally causing one’s own death.

According to him, men are more likely to end their lives because they are more decisive and they tend to complete whatever they decide to do.

He added that women on the other hand, were more emotional and more likely to try to seek attention by attempting to kill themselves than actually being able to do so.

Onyedika noted that suicide is the 10th leading cause of death globally, with approximately 12 in 100,000 people deliberately ending their own lives.

According to him, most people who commit suicide have been experiencing depression for a while, adding that causes of depression varies from sudden tragic life events such as accidents, which often lead to physical disability.

He further listed other factors as loss of livelihood, loved ones and jobs, as well as prolonged periods of hardship and diagnoses of chronic or terminal diseases.

Onyedika said though a significant number of people who often committed suicide might not necessarily have been depressed for a while; they could have suffered very disgraceful events of life and incurred shame and loss of their self-dignity.